1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic package assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Integrated circuits are typically assembled to a package that is mounted to a printed circuit board. FIG. 1 shows an integrated circuit package 1 attached to a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket 2 which allows an end user to replace the package 1 with a new part. The socket 2 has a plurality of pins 3 that are soldered to a motherboard 4. Extending from the bottom surface of the integrated circuit package 1 are a plurality of external pins (not shown) that are plugged into the pin sockets 3. The pins and pin sockets 3 couple the package 1 to the board 4. The integrated circuit package 1 is inserted into a socket lid 5 that is laterally shifted by a cam lever 6 to couple the package to the pin sockets 3.
The integrated circuit within the package 1 generates heat which must be removed to maintain the junction temperatures of the circuit below threshold values. A heat sink 7 may be coupled to the socket 2 by a spring clip 8 that is attached to a tab 9.
It may be desirable to incorporate a fan into the electronic assembly shown in FIG. 1 to increase the thermal efficiency of the assembly. Attaching a fan to the heat sink would be impractical with the present spring clip arrangement.
The present invention is an electronic assembly that incorporates a heat sink. The assembly may include an integrated circuit package that is mounted to a substrate. The substrate may be mounted to a spacer block which includes a pin field that contains a plurality of pins. The heat sink may be coupled to the integrated circuit package by a clip that wraps around the sink and is attached to the spacer block.